Oh My Goddess! (manga)

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Oh My Goddess! Aa! Megami-sama! ああっ女神さまっ
Belldandy, cover of first volume
Format:	Manga
Creator:	Kosuke Fujishima
Starring:	Keiichi Morisato, Belldandy, Urd, Skuld
Country:	Japan

Oh My Goddess! was first published in 1988-09-25 as a spinoff from the manga You're Under Arrest (逮捕しちゃうぞ, Taiho Shichauzo); Fujishima had added a four-panel gag strip to You're Under Arrest in which the main characters prayed to a goddess.^[1] The gag became very popular, and Fujishima liked the look of his drawings of the goddess so much that he began drawing a full-fledged manga based around her. Oh My Goddess! was published in the Japanese publisher Kodansha's monthly Afternoon magazine, where it was very warmly received--it has been a staple of Afternoon ever since. A complete collection of the manga published to date would run over 200 chapters (over thirty collected volumes). There have been twenty-two volumes of the manga published in the US so far, and publishers are now reprinting unflopped versions of the earlier graphic novels in order to spark new interest in the series.

As the manga's popularity increased, a five-episode OVA was made based on it. With the OVA's success, the stage was set for two TV series and a movie to follow. Due to its length, only the part of the plot common to the OVA and TV series as well as the manga will be included below.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Evolving Art Style 3 See also 4 External links

[edit] Plot

The plot of the manga (and of most OMG series) centers on a good-natured, yet hapless and girlfriend-less college freshman named Keiichi Morisato. He is often imposed upon by his elder dorm-mates and brow-beaten into taking phone messages and doing miscellaneous chores for them. One day, while alone in his dorm, an attempt to relay a message to one of his senior dorm-mates is surprisingly redirected. To his surprise, he discovers that he has actually dialed the number of the Goddess Technical Help Line (literally translated as Goddess Relief Line). Before he can explain his error, a beautiful goddess named Belldandy (Japanese transliteration of the Norse Verdandi) materializes in his room. She tells him that her agency has received a system request from him, and has sent her to grant him one wish. Keiichi is skeptical, thinking it more plausible that his dormmates are playing some manner of practical joke on him. He seeks to defuse the prank by asking Belldandy to stay with him forever, thinking that when the wish was refused, as it must be, he would have turned the tables on them.

Keiichi's wish is granted, but he soon discovers a downside: Belldandy must live with him, but with his dormitory being strictly male-only, they are both forced onto the street. Keiichi's motorcycle had just been repaired, so they set off to find alternative shelter. Their attempts to stay at various friends' houses are constantly thwarted, so when a fierce storm strikes the pair, they are left no option other than to seek cover in an old Buddhist temple. The next morning they are greeted by a young monk; the sole inhabitant of the temple. He welcomes them and allows them to stay while until they can find permanent lodging elsewhere. He immediately puts them to work maintaining the temple grounds. When Belldandy uses her powers to save Keiichi, the priest begins to fear that she is no ordinary girl, suspecting she may be a foreign demon or sorceress. He investigates further, but is eventually persuaded of Belldandy's intrinsic goodness when he witnesses her solicitous care of the temple premises and her perfect meditation ritual. After he decides to go on a pilgrimage to India, the priest grants the two lovers permission to remain in the temple contingent upon its good maintenance. Due to luck, or perhaps divine intervention, the two now have a home.

[edit] Evolving Art Style

Due to the fact that the manga has run for almost 20 years now, the style of the art in Oh My Goddess! has constantly changed as the series progressed and Fujishima's skills improved. Early on, the artwork was similar to what was seen in most late 80's manga and anime, with Fujishima's touch seen in certain detail elements, most notably the characters hair. The characters also sported decidedly eighties fashion, including oversized jackets and leg warmers. As the series has progressed, the art style evolved into the more recognizable style used by Fujishima today. The character art has become cleaner, more detailed and better proportioned, this is most easily seen in the characters faces and their hair. The Goddess's hair in particular has become more complex and detailed with noticeable layering and curling as well as losing the 80's inspired bigness seen in the earlier chapters. Among other things, the original manga cover (the one displayed above is a new cover designed for a rerelease) shows that Belldandy has dark blue/purple colored hair, which has since changed to brown.

[edit] See also

• Oh My Goddess!
• Oh My Goddess! (OVA)
• Ah! My Goddess (TV)

[edit] External links

• (Japanese) Official Ah! My Goddess website
• (English) Gateway to the Goddesses - Synopses of characters, manga chapters and videos/movies
• (English) Open Your Mind - Comparisons between the manga and anime series.
• (English) Feather at Noblescarlet.net - Fan site
• (English) Belldandy Angel Feathers - Multimedia Fan site